Today is the prologue individual time trial in the 100th Tour de France.
Lance Armstrong is starting at 1:05pm EST today, and is favored to win his 5th straight victory. Only the incredible (literally – his resting heart rate was supposedly in the low 30’s) “Big Mig” Miguel Indurain has ever won 5 in a row; not Mercx, not Anquetil, not “le blaireau” Hinault – all of whom are legendary bicycle racers and have won 5 times each, but not 5 in a row.
I was a mediocre amateur cyclist through college and grad school, which meant that when I had a chance to be a suiveur (one of the guys in the cars) at the ’78 Tour, I could appreciate just how insanely hard it is. The weakest rider on the Tour is an incredible athlete, and I tip my helmet to all of them and wish them success.
Everyone is familiar with Lance’s story; he’s become an icon, recognizable even here in the U.S. where cycling is an ‘incidental’ sport.
Today he stops being a cancer survivor, a philanthropist, a marketing tool – he’s an athlete literally at the summit of his sport, and I’m picking up a six-pack of Shiner Bock (his favorite beer) to crack when he crosses the line in Paris July 27, after he pedals 2,125 miles and winds up wearing le maillot jaune.
I had the opportunity to watch Lance and the Tour go through Grenoble a few years ago and enjoyed it immensly.
I’d really love to be there – it is such a spectacle – but since I refuse to spend my money on anything French I’ll just have to content myself with cheering him from here.
Allez Lance. America Loves You!
Let me add my words of support for Lance Armstrong: consummate sportsman and a true gentleman. His ability to transcend pettiness in responding to the French and U.S. press on the current poor status of relations between the two countries is also, truly, admirable. An example for all.